Post B6GoF6ESXmF2NZkb6O by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #B60JZ99BpDJADsGEIi by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:15:58Z
2 likes, 0 repeats
I'm trying to rage-write an article about all the completely awful, useless, polluting, dangerous shit that companies are proposing to launch into orbit and I can't even tell what's fake and what's real on these fucking techbro websites anymore. It's all so fucking ludicrous.
(DIR) Post #B60JZEjB4q49Ww8Xaa by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:20:31Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Like this shit: https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/27/meta-inks-deal-for-solar-power-at-night-beamed-from-space/Don't worry guys, the CEO says you can stare right into the infrared beam and it's totally safe! I trust him, don't you? (How you transmit usable amounts of power with a beam that's so diffuse that you can look at it I have no fucking idea.)
(DIR) Post #B60JZJTlPZhuGZxnl2 by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:26:20Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Or this shit: https://www.cnn.com/science/space-forge-factory-semiconductors-spcI guess factories in orbit are already a thing? Tiny factories, for now. Which then have to drop their precious cargo back through the atmosphere somehow and recover it? How does this make any sense economically at all?
(DIR) Post #B60JZObOMdmQ9gZSqG by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:29:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Or this shit: https://spacedaily.com/sd-n-nasa-backs-interlunes-2028-bid-to-mine-helium-3-from-the-moon/The Moon's gravity is much weaker than Earth's so it'll be easy to accidentally launch rocks into Moon-escape orbits, making the Earth-Moon trip even more hazardous than it is already. Fun!
(DIR) Post #B60JZU9bir7VNFcMMq by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:31:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Or THIS shit which is really shit: https://harvardtechnologyreview.com/2025/09/05/the-future-of-energy-unlocking-the-potential-of-space-based-solar-power/Many companies are looking at different ways to do this (like the stare-into-the-IR-beam company above). All of them have huge safety, tech, and/or feasibility issues.
(DIR) Post #B60JZZCGyNDt0xu3iS by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:34:04Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
But of course nothing beats SpaceX's drunk teenager scifi novel of an FCC filing about how we need AI data centres in orbit to ascend into Kardashev civilization land. Which the FCC took totally seriously, opened for public comment in 4 days (record-short time!) https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-113A1.pdf and the FCC will probably approve despite a couple thousand comments from the public and at least two petitions to deny opposing it. Fuckers.
(DIR) Post #B60JZeTpKXEfOr9eGu by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:40:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/115345346648445621A million satellites have obvious consequences, but even one can cause huge amounts of damage. Reflect Orbital, possibly simultaneously the most useless and damaging company ever to exist, which I have ranted about many times, and will continue to rant as their FCC filing is also likely to be approved despite a couple thousand comments against it from the general public and at least 2 formal petitions to deny. I really really hate this company a lot.
(DIR) Post #B60JZkdGSMLkTrcGoa by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:48:48Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
I want to see companies that promise to use a handful of well-tested, ethically built, perfectly functioning satellites with decades-long operating lifetimes to do something that benefits the vast majority of humanity. Why can't we have more proposals like that?
(DIR) Post #B60JZpPyfBgzK6REIa by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-05T21:53:54Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Oh. This is orbital enshittification. Shit.
(DIR) Post #B61ZiXclyviJAUYlKS by clacke@libranet.de
2026-05-06T15:35:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets If I remember correctly, this was part of what broke Earth ecology in the Robots + Foundation universe, before it was entirely irradiated for other reasons.Just can't stop implementing the Torment Nexus.
(DIR) Post #B61Zic4vQCbqyxlIlU by Dougfir@m.ai6yr.org
2026-05-05T21:29:03Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets I guess they used AI to generate the feasibility study.
(DIR) Post #B63DxaCKszlconsgc4 by bluemonkeyslippers@noc.social
2026-05-06T09:16:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets Nobody's going to put datacenters in space. They're too heavy and space makes cooling impossible. It's all BS and hype to get them funding. Ignore it.
(DIR) Post #B63DxbOmQDJcXgi8eG by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-06T13:31:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@bluemonkeyslippers I can't ignore it, because the FCC is taking it very seriously and is likely going to grant licenses for it. And then there will be hundreds/thousands/tens of thousands of giant useless satellites in orbit, and horrible consequences. At least the 10,000+ Starlinks up there now are useful to the people who can afford to purchase internet access from Musk.
(DIR) Post #B63Dxc9ZcEkIsobVaK by bluemonkeyslippers@noc.social
2026-05-07T09:23:49Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets There won't be any. Licenses or not. Take a look at the radiators needed by the ISS for just a few people and computers. Scale it up for the monstrous needs of even a small datacenter.Datacenters in space aren't even impractical, they're impossible. It's all hype. Nobody is actually going to try doing it. You can't cheat physics.It's a scam to get more funding from gullible investors. Just ignore it.
(DIR) Post #B66rIcDj2c8arIQm2K by CausticHarmony@mastodon.social
2026-05-06T10:16:48Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets create Website: Orbital Enshittification Watch"They get the valuation. We get the debris."Main goal:Make every reckless satellite proposal look like a bad investment.By showing:cheaper Earth alternativesregulatory delay riskinsurance/liability riskpublic opposition risk;astronomy/ecology backlashtechnical feasibility gapsreputational harmweak customer demandbad unit economics
(DIR) Post #B66rIiGmYA9DcVuIdM by CausticHarmony@mastodon.social
2026-05-06T10:17:28Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets Also provide:- Investor risk memos- A bullshit-to-physics translator- Journalist briefing kits- Real or Fake? Space Startup Edition- etc.
(DIR) Post #B6GoF4x3J0iuPIbBKa by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-12T15:24:07Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Another day, another extremely poorly though-out satellite megaconstellation that will enshittify orbit! https://spacenews.com/star-catcher-raises-65-million-for-space-power-grid/
(DIR) Post #B6GoF6ESXmF2NZkb6O by sundogplanets@mastodon.social
2026-05-12T15:27:53Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
BATTERIES. Batteries. Why are the techbros so excited about putting shiny shit in orbit instead of making better batteries on Earth? Not dystopian-scifi-enough?
(DIR) Post #B6GoF6sW8qHgNoUaXY by vogelchr@chaos.social
2026-05-13T06:54:19Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@sundogplanets it's a betting game. You don't bet on things that just work, because everyone could do it, and you're not seen as a genius coming up with fancy ideas.But importantly *also* don't bet on the very-unlikely things that theoretically could work in some distant future... you persuade *other* *people* to pour money into your batshit-crazy ideas which you claim will yield a 10000x return on investment later.Then you'll use this inflated stock as collatoral to buy your new yacht.